Heart and said It is NOT in Heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall ascend to bring it from thence NEITHER is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say Who shall go over to fetch it us but the Word is very nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth for to do it Behold this day I have set before thee Life and Good Death and Evil Deuteronomy Chap. 30. Verse 12 13 14 15. From whence I conclude and am fully satisfied that Life and Good consists in and is obtained by hearkening unto and obeying that Word that is nigh in the Heart And on the contrary by sleighting and rejecting of it Death and Evil cometh upon the Souls of all those who running after Empty Words and after the Tree of Knowledge and come not to the Guidance of that Inward WORD in the Heart which is able to give them Acceptance with the Lord. For Without Faith viz. in this Word which purifies the Heart it is impossible to please God and by it we have Access unto him But a Dead Historical or Notional Faith will profit none But that which purifieth the Heart and worketh by Love and purgeth the Conscience from Dead Works of which Christ is the Author and Finisher too that only will profit And this True and Living Faith is known by the Blessed Effects and Works of it for as the Body without the Spirit is Dead so Faith without Works is Dead also James 2.26 And all those that are true Believers in Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World they come to find the Powerful Operation of this Faith in his Blood to cleanse and purifie them from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and hereby are made Vessels of Honour and fit Temples for the Lord to dwell in being sanctified through the Blood of Cleansing and Washed with pure Water and made clean thereby so that an Acceptable Sacrifice and a Pure Offering is offered up unto God from a clean Vessel which is a Sweet Savour unto him and well pleasing in his Sight and hereby we know that we are of God because we have Admittance into his Presence and free Access to the Throne of his Grace so that whatsoever we ask by Faith and in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ it is granted unto us And this Faith is the Gift of God and is received and witnessed in receiving Christ the true Light But they that deny the Light are Strangers to this Faith and so are ignorant of the Blood of Cleansing and of that which should reconcile them to God and discover unto them the Mysteries of his Kingdom But my true desire are that all who in any measure are stirred up and feel an inquiry and search begun in their Hearts after the Lord and the knowledge of his Way that such may receive the word of Truth into their Hearts and that it may be as Seed sown upon good Ground which takes Root downward and brings forth Fruit upward and an Heavenly increase to God and Satisfaction and Comfort to their Souls may be witnessed that all old things may be done away the old Heavens and the old Earth with the beggarly Elements and Rudiments of the World that the new Heavens and the new Earth may be known wherein dwells Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost Oh! Prise the Day of your Visitation and let it not slip over your Heads unregarded lest it be said unto you as it was to Jerusalem of Old How often would I have gathered you as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings But ye would not Behold your Habitation shall be left unto you desolate Matth. 23.37 38. Now mark 't was not because they COULD not come unto Christ but because they WOULD not that they were left ungathered there was a Sensual and Corrupt Will in them that would not be subject to him that called them nor bow down their Necks to Christ's Yoke but Stiff-necked and Rebellious were they wherefore Christ withdrew himself and said unto them Henceforth ye shall not see me untill ye say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord vers 39. Now consider your Latter End and labour to make your Calling and Election sure that when you come to render a final Account of the Deeds done in the Body to the Great and Mighty Judge of Heaven and Earth before whose Tribunal Seat of Judgment All must appear you may receive the Sentence of PEACE and the Reward of WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD Oh! this will be a joyful Sentence and more Estimable than all the Glory of Egypt-or the Treasure of Ten Thousand Worlds where the Soul comes to possess an Everlasting Inheritance and a Crown of Life and Immortality among them that are sanctified where the Song of High Praises and Everlasting Halelujahs is sung to the God of their Salvation who hath wiped away all Tears from their Eyes and Sighing and Sorrow is fled away Which are the true Breathings of her who desires the Everlasting Well-being of the Souls of all People Isabel Yeamans Swarthmore the 2d Moneth 1679. THE END
and the Fountains of Water who formed the Mountains and created the Winds and declares unto man what his Thoughts are Amos 4.13 the Lord of Hosts is his Name He is making himself known in the Hearts of people by his great Power who will overturn and remove all Mountains and Hills that may be shaken or removed that that alone which cannot be shaken may remain then shall the Loftiness of the Heart of Man be brought down and the Haughtiness thereof laid low that all Flesh may fear and tremble before the Lord who gives unto all Life Breath and Being And as Man and Woman comes to believe in the Light of Christ Jesus which discovers and makes manifest unto them the most secret Thoughts and intents of their Hearts that they are continually Evil in the unregenerate state for as the Lord said Every Imagination of the Heart of Man was only continually Gen 6.5 and the Prophet saith The Heart is Deceitful above all things and desperately Wicked who can know it I the Lord search the Heart and try the Reins to give unto every Man according to his Wayes This Light I say being believed in kept to and obeyed is able work a Change and to cleanse the Heart that was corrupted by Sin and Transgression and to beget good Thoughts and good Desires and to judge down the contrary even all the Corrupt Wayes that man in his own Inventions has involved himself into and forsaken his Maker But this is not of our selves nor by any Acquirement of our own but is the free Gift of God the Giver of all good things which he has given us to believe in and to him alone not unto any thing of our selves we ascribe the Glory and Honour to whom it is due forever Now forasmuch as all men have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God it pleased God out of his infinite Love and Compassion towards the Sons and Daughters of Men to send his only begotten Son Christ Jesus a Light into the World that all through him might be saved and have Everlasting Life who gave his Life a Ransom for all that he might purchase them by his precious Blood He is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for our Sins only but also for the Sins of the whole World 1 John 2.2 And as man comes to believe in his Name which is his Power he comes to know Reconciliation through his Death and Blood and by it Redemption up unto God again And the Everlasting Gospel which is the great Power of God unto Salvation to all that believe in it and obey the same comes here to be witnessed which is that Gospel which Christ commanded his Disciples to preach throughout the World to every Creature under Heaven Mark 16.15 And If any man preach any other Gospel then that which is already preached and declared let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 But if this Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Now this Everlasting Gospel is preached again in the same Power and Demonstration of the Spirit as in times past by virtue whereof Life and Immortality is again brought to Light so that the Prisoner of Hope comes to receive the acceptable Tidings of Liberty and Freedom out of spiritual Bondage and Captivity And the Lord is arising and appearing in the Hearts and Consciences of the Sons and Daughters of men by the bright shinings of the Beams of his Glory to give unto them the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus 2 Corinth 4.6 Now the Reason why people have been erring and wandring every one after their own Wayes and in the dark Imaginations of their own Hearts is for want of the Knowledge of the only true God and Christ Jesus whom he hath sent whom to know is Life Eternal and the Reason why People come short of this Knowledge is because they will not believe in and yield Obedience unto the Light of Christ Jesus manifested in their Hearts to give them the glorious Knowledge of the Lord and of his Way of Life and Salvation and to lead them from under Satan's power who hath held people in Ignorance through Unbelief and hath kept them under the Region of the Shadow of Death For Christ Jesus who said I am the Light of the World also said Except ye believe that I AM HE ye shall dye in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come So that Unbelief in the Light was and is the Cause why people dye in their Sins and come short of the Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom to know is Life Eternal But Christ Jesus who is that Word that was in the Beginning by which all things were made that were made in whom was and is Life and the Life was and is the Light of Men John 1.4 he is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World by which lost man comes to see his Way to God again out of his miserable Estate and undone Condition where all Flesh hath corrupted its way before the Immortal God in which way of Corruption by reason of Sin and Transgression there is none that doth good no not one And in this fallen Estate and deplorable Condition hath the Lord God beheld the Sons and Daughters of fallen Adam and with an Eye of Pity and in the Bowels of Compassion hath he looked down from the Habitation of his Holiness and hath sent forth the Son of his Love who by his Light and Grace appears in the Hearts of all Mankind his Light and his Grace and good Spirit is universal and freely extended unto all that as they mind it believe in it and are obediene to it they come to witness Salvation by it according to the Testimony of the holy Apostle The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly and godly c. Titus 2.11 12. Now there is none excluded from the Appearance of this free Grace of God nor any to be excused who receive it not and resit the Teachings of it But as many as are obedient to the Teachings of it in their own Hearts they come to witness Freedom and Liberty by it and Power in it to resist the Temptations and many Snares that be in the Ungodly World And those that hate the Reproofs of its Instruction which is the Way of Life and turn from it into Lasciviousness and Vanity they will find it to be their Condemnation and those are they that crucifie unto themselves afresh the Lord of Glory and put him to open shame and trample the Blood of the Covenant under foot as a thing of no value And here the Lamb
of an Higher Attainment or that it was higher or of further Latitude which certainly was more pernicious and Destructive for until the Temptation was entred into they had not the Knowledge of Evil by participation but were clothed with the Sweet Innocent Life of God which he breathed into them and dwelt in Covenant with their Maker But after the Enemy had prevailed and had subjected the Creature unto Vanity as saith the Apostle Romans 8. vers 20. not willingly but in Hope of an Higher Attainment or Better State than that wherein the Lord had placed them they were betrayed and lost their Habitation by breaking the Command of God and lost the Heavenly Dignity and Excellency of the first Creation and became dead as to that sweet Unity Fellowship and Access they had unto God and here the Serpent was found a Lyar who told them They should not surely dye c. So here Man and Woman were drove out of the Paradise of God and became degenerate Plants of a strange Vine branching forth it self into many Corrupt Trees whose Fruit have been Envy Wrath Murder and Persecution about Religion Sacrifice and Worship Pride Emulation Deceit and Hypocrisie and in these evil Branches have the unclean Birds and the Fowls of the Air lodged and the Cockatrice that comes out of the Serpent's Root whose Fruit saith the Prophet shall be a Fiery Flying Serpent Isa 14.29 Now the Cockatrice hath been hatching and bringing forth her Cage of unclean Birds by the power of the Serpent whereby they are become Birds of Prey to the persecuting of the Innocent Birth or good Seed of the Kingdom and quenching the good Desires which are in the Hearts of People But as the first Appearance or Motion to Evil is resisted and turned from the Conception thereof is prevented in the Heart for 't is there that Sin is conceived before 't is brought forth into action and the Cockatrice comes to be crushed in the Egg before it is brought forth to be a Bird of Prey and the Creature preserved out of the Snare And so it may be seen that this Crooked Serpent has been the ground Cause of all the Wo and Misery that is come upon Mankind who seeks to betray and deceive the Innocent as he did Adam and Eve who actually knew no Evil until under a fair Pretence he presented the forbidden fruit unto Eve the weaker Vessel who by hearkening unto him did eat and gave also to her Husband and so brought Death over themselves according as the Lord God had said In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall dye Thus by transgressing the Righteous Law of God in eating the forbidden Fruit Sin entred and Death by Sin which is come upon all and all have fallen short of the Glory of God And they that are feeding of the Tree of Knowledge without Life are under the same Sentence of Death which was passed over Adam and Eve through their Disobedience So Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam 's Transgression as saith the Apostle For as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 And as many as receive the free Gift of Grace and Righteousness shall reign in Life by Jesus Christ And in this free Gift of God in which is Life eternal comes Man and Woman to inherit their former Priviledge and Right to the Tree of Life again for the universal Loving-kindness of the Lord God was such towards the Noble Workmanship of his Hands that notwithstanding Man and Woman had transgressed the holy righteous Law of the Lord and being first violated by the Woman yet he promised That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head and to the Serpent he said I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Gen. 3.15 This faithful Promise in which the Patriarchs of old with the Prophets and Holy Men of God believed in the Fulness of time came to be fulfilled and the Virgin conceived by the Holy Ghost and by the Overshadowing of the Power of the Most High and brought forth that Holy Thing whose Name was called Jesus according as the Angel of the Lord had fore-told unto Mary saying Blessed art thou among Women thou hast found Favour with God for lo thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bear a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus Now Mary reasoned a little saying How can this be seeing I know not Man To whom the Angels Answer was The Holy Chost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Most High shall evershadow thee therefore that Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God So Mary consulted no more but believing the Angel said Be it unto me according to thy word Luke 1.35 And in the overcoming Sense of the Joy which through Faith she had received said on this wise My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour from henceforth all Generations shall call me blessed because be that is mighty has done great things for me and Holy is his Name So in the Seed Christ Jesus the second Adam that never fell who is made a quickening Spirit comes the Blessing again to be obtained and all those that believe in him come to be redeemed from under the Curse and to know his Spirit as a Standard lifted up in them to the crushing and breaking down the Head of the Serpent which is his Power so that the Enmity that is put between the two Seeds shall never be reconciled and as this Seed of Life which the good Seedsman has sown in every Heart comes to take root and grow it will suppress and keep under the Evil Seed of the Serpent which brings forth Bryars and Thorns to entangle the Soul as in a Net whose End is to be burnt up and consumed by the Breath of the Lord. And although the Enemy has come in the Night and hath sown Tares and Brambles in the Field which is the World where the good Seed was sown yet mark their End is to be cut down at the time of Harvest which is the end of the World and to be bundled up and cast into the Fire unquenchable Oh! what will become of all those in that day who have suffered the Tares and Brambles to grow have not believed nor put Confidence in but obstinately resisted the appearance of Christ the benefit of whose Sufferings Death Resurrection and Assention such might have received and have been cleansed from all their evil Wayes and corrupt Devices by Christ Jesus who is come a Light into the World that whosoever believes in him should not abide in Darkness but have the Light of Life John 8.12 he testified of
Nation if they would be of the Samaritans Mind and believe in that inward Testimony and Power which lets them see and tells them all that they do and reproves them for Sin and Evil. Now God is a Spirit and they that worship him aright must worship him in by the divine Assistance of his Spirit but those who deride and make a Mock at the Spirit and the Guidings and Leadings of it are known to be out of the Spirit neither know the Truth bat are Enemies to it and all their Worships Duties Self-Performances Offerings Sacrifices out of the Truth are an Abomination unto the Lord let their Pretence be never so specious Now God in his Love hath given a Measure of his Spirit unto All people whereby through Obedience thereto they may be enabled to perform that acceptable Service he requires of them and they that come to feel such a good Desire and holy Thirst begotten in them as did the Woman of Samaria after the Water of Life such by pursuance after the same in the Faith come to receive Satisfaction and Refreshment from the Fountain Christ Jesus who said unto the Woman If thou knew'st the Gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give we to drink thou wouldst have asked of him who would have given thee living Water those said he that drink of this Water speaking of the Water in Jacob's Well shall thirst again but whosoever shall drink of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up unto Everlasting Life The Woman said unto him Sir give me of this Water that I thirst not again c. So it appears this Woman was ignorant of the Gift of God though it was in her yet by believing in and receiving his gracious Words she became acquainted with the true Knowledge of the Gift of God in her self as are all true Believers and spiritual Worshippers at this day and thereby to receive the ingrafted Word with Meekness which is able to save the Soul in and through which the true Worshippers offer up an acceptable Sacrifice within the Gates of the New and Heavenly Jerusalem which John saw coming down from God out of Heaven as a Bride adorned for her Husband Salvation is the Walls of this holy City and her Gates Praises neither in her is there need of the Light of the Sun or of the Moon or Stars but the Lord God and the Lamb is the Light thereof and the Nations of them that are saved must walk in the Light of it rev 21.23 24. Now we who are come to witness this defirable and glorious Habitation of Reft and Peace which through many deep Sufferings Cryes and Travails of our anxious Spirits we have mourned for sought after and obtained we cannot but declare unto others in the Love of God with tender Pity and Compassion unto their Souls who are tossed about with every Wind of Dectrine as a Ship in a storm and even labour to perswade such who are thus distressed to lay hold on the great Salvation of God which he in and by his Son Christ Jesus has freely tendred unto all People to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the Glory of his People Israel this is he whom good old Simeon saw in his day when he was waiting for the Consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 And you who are looking for Christ without you in the outward Forms and Traditions my Advice unto you is To turn to that Principle in your own hearts that is meek and lowly for sayes Christ Learn of me I am meek and low in heart and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls Mat. 11.29 The Humble he teacheth his Way and the Meek will he guide in Judgment This is the good Physician of Value who hath brought Balm from Gilead and gives Health to the wounded Soul he washes and thoroughly cleanses the Wound when all that has poluted and defiled the Heart and Conscience is purged and done away then he pours in of his precious Oyntment which gives a fragrant smell to those who have been poluted and defiled by reason of Sin of which the Oyntment was a Figure that was poured upon Aaron's Head and run down to the Skirts of his Garment and was precious and if that was precious which was outward and typical how much more is this which is an inward and spiritual Unction which only can reach the Soul as that did the Body and which comes from Christ who is anointed with the heavenly Oyl above his Fellows by vertue of which inward Anointing Health Soundness of heart and mind comes to be known again by those who through this Universal Grace receive it a measure of which Grace is committed to every one to profit withal if they would prove it and try it it is one and the same in Nature and Quality though not in Quantity For unto one he gave five Talents to another two and to another one and to every man according to their several Abilities in the least of which is sufficientcy if obey'd and improv'd and where much is given much is required But the wicked and sloathful Servant who had but one Talent counted the Lord an hard Master because he was negligent and careless to improve it and hid his Talent in the Earth but read his Portion was he not cast into utter Darkness where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth and the same Reward to this day remains for all the Negligent Unfaithful and disobedient Servants who will not improve their Gift and Talent committed unto them Now to speak a little after the manner of men and to compare Spiritual Things with Temporal That as no Malady or Distemper of the Body can be healed without the Application of some suitable Medicine and that only such as can reach unto the grieved part even so no visible Preparatory or outward Existence can reach unto or effectually heal a Wounded Soul but the alone saving Health and Power of Jesus and whoso makes a right Application of it comes livingly experimentally to witness the blessed Effects thereof which are the same as in the dayes past that is to give Sight to the Blind to cause the Deaf to hear the Lame to walk the Leper to be cleansed and the Tongue of the Dumb to be unloosed to praise the Name of the Lord and to magnifie his great Power in the Land of the Living and the Poor in Spirit have received the Everlasting Gospel of Peace which is freely preached and Life and Immortality is brought to Light thereby Oh! the Day of Glad Tidings is come and the Year of Jubile to the Prisoner of Hope and to the Captives and Disconsolate Souls is known who had no Comforter in the Earth nor any to be found that had the Tongue of the Learned to speak a